The 39-year-old singer/songwriter was in an on/off relationship with the 'Chained to the Rhythm' hitmaker for around 18 months until early 2014 and admitted his new single, 'Still Feel Like Your Man', was written about the blond beauty.

He said: "Who else would I be thinking about? And by the way, it's a testament to the fact that I have not dated a lot of people in the last five, six years. That was my only relationship. So it's like, give me this, people."

Lyrics to the track include: "Still like the letters in your name and how they feel, babe / Still think I'm never gonna find another you / Still like to leave the party early and go home, babe / And don't you know, babe / I'd rather sit here on my own and be alone, babe."

And John admitted his break-up from the 32-year-old singer inspired some other tracks on his new album 'The Search for Everything', but he also wrote other songs that are more "profound".

He told the New York Times newspaper: "There were times when tears came out of me, and I went, OK, John, this is not about an on-again, off-again relationship. This is something more profound."

The 'Gravity' hitmaker - who turns 40 in October - is ready to settle down and wants to have children.

He admitted: "I wish there was somebody to throw me the 40th.

"I want the baby with the protective earphones [by the side of the stage].

"I'm right on time for my career, and I'm running late for my life."

However, with failed romances with the likes of Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Simpson and Taylor Swift behind him, John knows he has a reputation as a womaniser to shake off.

He said: "I've inherited a younger man's reputation. You can even break 'bad boy' into good bad boy and bad bad boy -- I somehow managed to become a bad version of a bad boy."

But the 'Your Body is a Wonderland' singer does use an exclusive dating app, though he insists he never meets anyone.

He said: "It's just lot of chatter. We all talk to the same people. There are very few people actually meeting up."